The Little Scout
by abs-walkers-12
Summary: During the three months something else happened, Ben fell in love. With a certain scout. Tessa is still grieving silently over her families death, she's alone with only the Masons left. Ben/OC
1. Chapter 1

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter One**_

_**Ben's POV**_

"Why are you staring at me, Ben?" She asked Ben Mason. He couldn't help it, Tessa was just so beautiful. Deep brown, almost black, waves fell down her back gracefully. She smelled strongly of vanilla. Beautiful green eyes, she truly was Breathtaking.  
"Um...no reason." IDIOT! Why? Why did he say that!  
"It's kind of scary." That accent. The cross between British and American. It was sweet, kind of posh but sweet.  
"Tessa, are you scared?" She shrugs.  
"Kind of. Are you?"  
"Don't be scared, I've got your back." He smiles, hopelessly.  
"That makes me feel so much better." She jokes.  
"Hey, nice little date you've got here, but we're on a mission?" Hal called. "Ben, stop talking to your girlfriend!" Ben shakes his head. Tessa blushed a little, but he couldn't really tell with the lighting here.  
"Leave them alone, Hal! You hypocrite." Maggie shouted at him.  
"Incoming!" Tessa chorused with Jimmy. She slid beside Ben and ducked behind the crashed car. Ben positioned his gun in unison with her. The heavy boom of Mech feet echoed in the night air, soft scurrying of Skitter's followed it.  
"On the count of three." Ben whispered to Tessa. She nodded. "One, Two...Three." They both pulled the trigger.

Moments later, Hal was shouting at them. "STOP!" He shouted. Tessa stopped firing but Ben didn't.  
"Ben! Stop!" She told him. He ignored her.  
"There's one down there." He shouted.  
"Ben!" He jumped from his cover and to the quite not dead Skitter. Tessa followed him. He took out his knife and pushed it through the Skitter's head. "Ben, c'mon." She urged him.  
"Tessa, keep quiet." He started firing at a shape, obviously a Skitter. It dropped dead and there stood a man. Tom Mason.  
"What the hell?" Tessa shouted. He smiled weakly at Ben and then dropped beside the skitter.  
"Dad!" Ben shouted, he raced toward his dad.  
"Ben!" Tessa ran after him.  
"Oh, God. What have I done?" Ben muttered. Tessa kneeled beside him.  
"We've got to stop the bleeding!" She shouted at him. She ripped some cloth from her t-shirt and tried to stop the blood from gushing. "Hal!" She shouted. "Hal!"  
"What?" Hal shouted back.  
"Help us! This Man's hurt!"  
"It's Dad!" Ben shouted.

Hal rushed towards them, picked Tom up and ran with him back to the trucks. Tessa and Ben cleared the way. He clambered onto his bike while Ben and Tessa climbed in the truck with Dai. Back at camp, Ben sat outside the Medical Vehicle. Tessa sat next to him. "I shot my own Dad." He mumbled.  
"No, it was dark, Ben. It could've been anyone." She soothed him. Why didn't he cry? "Ben, it's okay, I could have shot him." Somehow that was supposed to make him feel better.  
"That's a nice thought."  
"Ben, don't blame yourself."  
"But I shot him."  
"He's going to pull through." Tessa put a hand on his knee.  
"But what if he doesn't?"  
"Don't think like that." There's that smell of vanilla, strong and pure. She hadn't showered in ages, Ben knew that, how did she smell so good?  
"Why do you smell?"  
"What?"  
"I meant, you smell...nice...how?" She shrugged. "You haven't showered in ages."  
"How do you know?"  
"Because I can tell."  
"What else can you tell?"  
"That you're near your period."  
"You've got a sixth sense about girls, don't you?" Tessa laughed. Her laugh. So high-pitched but so normal.  
"It's all new to me."  
"Really, you wouldn't think so."  
"Why is she here?" Matt looked hurt by Tessa presence.  
"Ben looked pretty upset; I thought I'd see if he was okay." She told him.  
"Well, he's fine. You can leave now; it's not your dad." Matt snapped.  
"Hey. Matt, be nice. She's only being sweet." Hal spoke from behind him.  
"No, I'll leave. I'm sure you all want to be alone." _Don't leave, please. _Ben thought. But she stood up and left anyways.  
"Matt, why did you do that? You were being a total brat." Ben snapped.  
"Just because it's your girlfriend."  
"She's not my girlfriend!" Ben shouted at him.  
"Yes she is! You like her!" Matt shouted back.  
"Hey, hey!" Hal raised his voice louder than the other two boys. "Pack it in! Do you think Dad would want you to be fighting about a girl? Matt, stop acting like a brat. Ben, get over it. You're a Mason." Ben looked at his shoes.  
"Sorry." He replied. Matt said just after him.


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Two**_

_**Ben's POV**_

"How's your Dad?" Tessa asked Ben over breakfast the next morning.  
"Still asleep." Ben replied, taking a bite out of stale bread.  
"He'll pull through." She promised him.  
"How do you know?"  
"It's my sixth sense. My Dad went into war, didn't come back. Was reported missing, I found him and he was fine."  
"Then the Skitter's came?" She nodded. "What happened to your Dad?"  
"He died. Mech shot him."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Don't be, I'm over It."  
"How long ago was it?"  
"Three months today." Today, Tessa had raked her hair up into a ponytail, her fringe brushes her eyes almost covering them.  
"How did you get over it?"  
"I just did."  
"It's not that easy."  
"You get used to it."  
"How?"  
"My Mom died a few years before the invasion, my brother died in war. And then my Dad died. I'm pretty used to it." She looked as if she was going to cry.  
"Are you going to cry?" She shook her head violently. "Its okay, Tessa, you can cry."  
"No." She told him flatly. Ben wanted to hug her. Offer her support. But he knew that she would just shake him. He knew her too well.  
"What the thing you miss most from your life before all of this?" Ben asked, quickly changing the subject.  
"My IPod. I have to say, that's the thing I miss most. And probably my boyfriend, that sounds so stupid I know."  
"Your boyfriend, what was he like?"  
"A bit of a jerk, actually...but he was nice. Died in a blast from a Mech."  
"Have you seen anyone you like, you know...like a boyfriend kind of like?"  
"Yeah, but it's not the time. Is it? Anyways I know he doesn't like me back."  
"Who is it?"  
"I can't tell you that, you've got a big mouth."  
"No I haven't!"  
"I'm still not telling you."  
"Why?"  
"Because it's you." It all came tumbling out of her mouth. "I'm sorry, I've got to go..."  
"No, it's okay. I like you too..." She stays where she is.  
"I don't think this is the time for having a relationship, do you?"  
"Why not? Hal and Karen..."  
"Ben, don't kid yourself. I just can't do it right now, neither can you. Your Dad's recovering you need to be there for him." She stood up and walked away.

"Hey! Hey Ben!" Jimmy shouted, he waved his hands over his head to get Ben's attention.  
"What is it Jimmy?"  
"Can you keep a secret?" Ben nodded.  
"Why?"  
"Because it's really important, please?"  
"Sure."  
"I like Tessa. I was thinking of asking her out."  
"What? Don't bother; she's not looking for a relationship."  
"How do you know?" Ben shrugged.  
"I guessed."  
"Oh...well thanks for the heads up."  
"No problem."  
"Ben! Dad's awake!" Matt rushed up to him and shouted. Matt led Ben to the Medical Truck.

His Dad is sat up and talking to Hal. "I'm so sorry Dad." Ben wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.  
"It's okay. Don't worry. I'm fine now."  
"I shot you."  
"It's okay...I'm fine."  
"But your not."  
"I hear you have a girlfriend."  
"I don't Dad. I haven't got a girlfriend."  
"Then who's this Tessa, is that her name Hal?"  
"Tessa Lake."  
"So, what's she like?"  
"Dad, there is no girl."  
"Hi..." Tessa stood behind him. "I just came to witness the great Mason family." Ben's gaze shifted to her arm which bled furiously.  
"What happened to you?"  
"Nothing, my knife slipped a little. I'm fine." Ben pushed her down onto a bucket.  
"There's too much blood to be fine."  
"Ben." She stopped him from tearing cloth from his shirt. "I came here for something else; I need to see Dr. Glass."  
"Are you Tessa?"  
"Yes, Mister Mason."  
"Call me Tom."  
"How are you...Tom?"  
"I'll live. So, I hear my son has...what do you call it?"  
"The hots, Dad." Hal helped him.  
"The hots for you." Tessa's cheeks went a soft pink colour.  
"Dad." Ben whined.  
"No, it's fine...Your son is a great solider. He'd make a girl happy someday."  
"But not you." Ben finished.  
"Ben, your a nice boy and..."  
"What's happening?"  
"Ben's getting dumped."  
"Really? Awesome!" Matt shouted. Just then, Tessa threw her arms around Ben and hugged him.


	3. Chapter 3

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Three**_

_**Ben's POV**_

Ben lay awake in bed, not tried the slightest bit. He tossed a little in his cot and stared up at the tent's roof. The sound of Matt and Hal's snoring soothed him a little. A light passage opened up and someone walked into their tent. Ben grabbed a gun and kept it close to him. "Ben..." Someone whispered. They tripped over something and landed with a small bag. "Ow."  
"Tessa?"  
"Yes."  
"What are you doing?"  
"I couldn't sleep..."  
"Oh, right."  
"Do you mind?"  
"No of course not." Ben told her, she stood up and wriggled in beside him. He clicked the safety on the gun and shoved it under his pillow. "How can't you sleep?"  
"I get lonely..."  
"Cute."  
"Shut up." Ben wrapped his arms around Tessa and hugged her. "Why weren't you sleeping?"  
"It keeps away the nightmares." Tessa looked up at him.  
"The nightmares?"  
"You don't have nightmares?" She shook her head. "Most of them are about the Skitter's coming to get Me."  
"And the rest?"  
"They're about my family getting taken too."  
"But that won't happen."  
"I know. Sometimes, I just think...that it will."  
"Don't worry...your family's tough as old boots. I doubt anything will happen to them."  
"Something did. My Dad was taken."  
"Ben, I know. But he came back. I wish my family was like yours."  
"Tough?" Ben asked. Tessa shook her head.  
"Alive." She confirmed.  
"I'm sorry..."  
"No, it's okay. You win some you lose some. I had to lose some to find all of this. If my Dad hadn't thrown himself in front of my skinny butt that night, I'd be six feet under."  
"He saved you." Tessa nodded.  
"And if I'd died, I would've never met the 2nd Mass."  
"Even the crazy ones you wished you'd never met."  
"Even the crazy ones." Ben saw tears in her eyes.  
"Don't cry, Tess."  
"I'm not." She sobbed quietly. "I've got hay-fever."  
"Near winter, Tess?"  
"Shut up." She told him. He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same to him. Her little arms didn't quite reach. "Do you notice them?" She asked.  
"The spikes?" She nodded. "Sometimes. But not all the time. Do you?"  
"I don't have any..."  
"I mean do my spikes bother you? I've seen the way you look at me sometimes, Tessa, like your scared."  
"I guess you scare the hell out of me but your whole family does, even Matt."  
"Do the spikes?" Ben repeated.  
"They do. I'm not scared of them; I'm scared of the fact that they're there. That they can take you any second and there's nothing I can do."  
"I'll never let that happen."  
"It's not your choice."  
"Tessa..."  
"Don't feed me empty promises, Ben. I know better."  
"I'm not. I won't let that happen."  
"But you can't choose. You have to, if they get you Ben. There's no escaping them not with those on."  
"Ben? Ben?" Matt stood a cot away. "Who are you talking to?"  
"Tessa."  
"Did we wake you up?" Tessa asked him.  
"Yes."  
"Sorry. We'll be quieter."  
"You shouldn't be here."  
"I'm going."  
"She's got every right, just go back to sleep Matt." Matt did as his elder brother told him and slipped back into his cot.  
"I think we should go to sleep."  
"You'll keep away the nightmares?"  
"I can't promise anything, I'm your own little nightmare." Ben smiled. "Your not so tough."  
"I am so."  
"Are not."  
"Am."  
"Not."  
"SHUT UP!" Matt shouted.


	4. Chapter 4

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Four**_

_**Tessa**_

"What made you change your mind about us?" Ben asked Tessa. She shrugged.  
"Who said I changed my mind? I'm giving you thirty minutes, if I don't see your stupid little head bobbing up and down in that stupid water, I'm coming after you no matter how freezing that stupid water is."  
"I know." She wrapped her arms around him.  
"Be safe." She told him.  
"You too."  
"I've got Jimmy watching my back."  
"Hey, the sooner you do this, the sooner we get back." Jimmy said.  
"Okay, I won't be long." Ben promised. "Look after her." He told Jimmy. Jimmy nodded. Tessa watched Ben jump into the ice cold water and she shuddered in the sudden wind. Jimmy stared at her.  
"He'll be fine." He told her.  
"I know he will." Tessa sunk down on to the broken bridge's edge and swung her legs to and fro.  
"What would you do if he didn't come back?"  
"I don't think like that, Jimmy, he always comes back." She stared out into the black forest and allowed her eyes to follow the soft glow of a flashlight. Ben's flashlight.  
"You still haven't answered my question."  
"I would find him. Ben Mason doesn't get off that easy."  
"And if he..."  
"Don't think like that."  
"Sorry." Jimmy apologized quickly. Tessa pulled a packet out of her pocket.  
"Strawberry?" She asked him.  
"Where'd you get those?"  
"Mind your own business." Tessa winked. She checked her watch as Jimmy took a strawberry and ate it whole. Only five minutes had passed. Tessa fiddled with her hair, wrapping un-washed curls around her finger.  
"You're nervous." Jimmy stated.  
"Is it that easy to tell?" Jimmy nodded. "I don't know why I'm worried." Tessa tried to reassure herself.  
"It's because you care, I never thought that would ever happen. You caring, I mean."  
"Ha-Ha, very funny."  
"I mean it, I was getting worried." Tessa gave him a playful shove. "Hey, I'm sure Weaver was going to set you up with someone."  
"Shut up Jimmy."  
"But I'm being serious. We were all getting worried."  
"Shut up." Tessa repeated.  
"There's your man." Jimmy joked. Sure enough Ben's stupid little head was bobbing up and down in the stupid water. Tessa threw the rope into the water and, with Jimmy's help, hoisted Ben onto the broken bridge.

He was soaked to the skin and shivering with cold but Tessa pulled him into embrace anyway.  
"I wasn't gone half-an-hour. I promise." He whispered.  
"It felt like longer." Tessa whispered back.  
"Did you find anything?" Jimmy asked him. Ben nodded.  
"I took pictures." He handed them to Jimmy.  
"Are you hurt?" Tessa blurted.  
"No, I'm fine." He assured her. Still Tessa wouldn't let him go.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes. I'm one-hundred-percent sure that I am physically fine."  
"Can we get going? It's kind of dark out here." Jimmy told them. Tessa finally broke the embrace and the three teen soldiers walked back to camp.


	5. Chapter 5

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Five**_

_**Ben**_

"Have you kissed her yet?" Hal asked Ben the next morning.  
"No." Ben replied.  
"Seems you haven't got the Mason touch."  
"I do! We've just had other things on our minds, you know with being at war with aliens."  
"That's no excuse."  
"It is!"  
"I just think this new tough Ben should've kissed Tessa already..."  
"Maybe I don't want to." Hal shot Ben a dirty look. "But I do."  
"Matt told me that she was in your cot the other night, you should've done it then."  
"But I didn't."  
"Hi, is Matt here? I promised him I'd drop by." Tessa interrupted.  
"Now." Hal mouthed at Ben.  
"Now? But..." Ben mouthed to his brother.  
"Do it." He mouthed back. "He's wandering around somewhere." Hal told Tessa.  
"Oh right...I'll go find him."  
"Tessa wait!" And he kissed her. The warm vanilla scent was sweet, it made him shiver. But Tessa finally broke it. He was dazed, she was so beautiful.

And then she slapped him.  
"Bad move, man." Hal muttered as Tessa stormed off.  
"What? I don't understand."  
"Tessa isn't a push-over; you need to treat her special. You need to make _her_ want to kiss _you_."  
"She packs a hand." Ben rubbed his cheek, it stung badly.  
"Treat her like she's everything."  
"How?"  
"Take her somewhere out of prying eyes and just tell her soppy stuff."  
"It's Tessa, she won't believe it. She's not stupid."  
"She's a girl, girl's love that stuff."  
"Really?" Hal nodded.  
"Tell her she's beautiful, that she's everything to you." Ben sighed, he realised it was true. She was beautiful and everything to him too. But he just nodded to Hal.

Ben found Tessa with an un-happy looking Matt. "Hey Tessa."  
"Are you going to kiss me? Please give me some warning this time." Tessa told him.  
"Tessa, can I talk to you."  
"I'm reading to Matt."  
"It'll only take a minute."  
"Just talk to him!" Matt interrupted them.  
"Fine."  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kiss you. I mean I did but..."  
"I know what you mean. I wanted it to be special."  
"Let me make it up to you, please?"  
"How?" Tessa crossed her arms and leant on the wall beside her.  
"I'll take the bike outside of camp, just us two."  
"You can't drive."  
"I can."  
"When?" She asked him, giving in.  
"Tonight." Tessa nodded.

Ben didn't make much of an effort to dress up; he just polished his boots and threw the cleanest t-shirt on that he had. He'd managed to wrestle Hal's bike keys off him and planned to meet Tessa by her tent. The one she shared with Maggie and Lourdes. She, however, had put more effort into her appearance; she'd washed her hair and it looked nice.  
"Whoa." Was all that Ben could make out.  
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She smiled at him. Ben nodded. She sat behind him on Hal's bike and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her little arms didn't quite reach. "How did you get Hal to give you his keys?"  
"I'm very persuasive."  
"Of course, where are we going?"  
"There's a little field just north of here."  
"What are we supposed to do in a field?" She asked him. He started the bike.  
"We'll work it out later."

Ben was actually alright at driving. He was surprised, he'd never ridden before. But obviously, Tessa didn't have her eyes open to see his amazing driving skills. "We're walking back."She told him.  
"But I was amazing!" Ben protested.  
"We're walking back." Tessa repeated. "So, you wanted to apologize."  
"I'm sorry, Tess. Hal was giving me grief and I..."  
"Ben, I didn't want you to kiss me."  
"I know, but I've seen the way people look at you. Like you're a piece of meat."  
"I don't know what the big deal is, I'm hardly the prettiest woman alive."  
"You are, I've seen old people look at you that way. Its unsettling."  
"So your jealous?"  
"Your beautiful, Tessa, I can't live without you."  
"That's lies, you lived perfectly fine without Me."  
"Did you want to kiss me?" Tessa stared at Ben. She nodded. "Why were you so upset?"  
"Because you were being a jerk."  
"I'm sorry. I'll not be a jerk again."  
"Stop listening to Hal, he makes you the jerk."  
"I promise." Tessa wrapped her arms around Ben.

And she kissed him.


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Six**_

_**Tessa's POV**_

"Matt, why do you hate me?" Tessa asked him.  
"I don't hate you."  
"You act like you do."  
"You remind me of my Mom. She died, and I don't want to..."  
"Get attached." Tessa finished his sentence. "I understand."  
"Where's your Mom?"  
"She died too. Before they came."  
"How did she die?" Tessa shook her head.  
"It's not important."  
"How did she die?" Matt repeated.  
"She had an illness." Matt nodded.  
"Where's your Dad?"  
"He's gone too."  
"I bet he knows my Mom, I bet their all best friends."  
"I'm sure they are." Tessa smiled. "Are we friends now?" Matt nodded.  
"Can you read to me?"  
"Sure, kid. What?" He shoved a book into her hand. "Are you sure?" He nodded.

Tessa read the book to him. "Thanks, Tessa." He smiled.  
"No problem." She told him.  
"Hi, Tessa, what are you doing here?" Dr. Glass asked her.  
"I was reading to Matt."  
"That's nice." She smiled.  
"Dr. Glass? What's the date?" Tessa asked Dr. Glass.  
"October 3rd." She told her. Tessa's heart sunk. Today was her brother's birthday. He would've been twenty to the day.  
"Thanks." Tessa smiled. She stood up and walked away. Tessa found a little quiet spot where none was and just sunk onto the ground. Her head fell into her hands and tears clouded her vision. They fell down her cheeks and she tasted them on her lips. The silence was bliss and it washed over her body. The boring grey walls were full to the brim of green graffiti. It read stupid messages like 'Skitterz Suk!' and 'Mech Mefz'. Clearly chavs with no sense of grammar.

It was dark before someone found Tessa. "Tessa?" She looked up to see Maggie. "You okay?"  
"Yeah..." She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm fine."  
"What are you doing out here?" She asked her.  
"I just needed time alone."  
"Okay, kid, wanna talk?" Tessa nodded, she trusted Maggie. Maggie sunk down beside her. "What's bothering you?"  
"It's my brother's birthday today."  
"Oh, Kid."  
"He'd be twenty today."  
"What happened to him?"  
"He died in war just a month before all of this..." Tessa couldn't stop the tears, they rolled down her cheeks.  
"Kid, it's okay."  
"He was a good brother, I mean we fought a lot, but he was a good brother. I'd give anything to have him back."  
"What was his name?"  
"Jack."  
"He went into war?"  
"Yeah, my Dad did too, but he came back. Just in time for them to come. And they killed him." Tessa sobbed.  
"Kid, just sitting here won't fix anything. You've got to get up and kill what took your family." Maggie urged. "Go and get some sleep, now."  
"But..."  
"That's an order." She half-smiled and Tessa wiped her eyes again. She returned to camp and wandered into her tent.

Lourdes was asleep in her cot; medical duty must've worn her out. Tessa sunk onto the cot nearest to the door. She wasn't tired at all, just upset. She just sat there, staring at the floor. "Hey, Tessa." Ben said. He stood at the mouth of the tent. "Are you alright? I've been looking everywhere for you."  
"Did you check here?"  
"Three times. Wait, have you been crying?"  
"Me? No." She told him.  
"What's wrong? Did Matt say something?"  
"Nothing's wrong, Matt didn't say anything, he likes me now."  
"Fine, nothing's wrong, we're leaving soon." She just nodded. "You wanna wake Lourdes up?"  
"Fine, you go and do what you do." Ben hugged her.  
"I'll see you on the other side of the bridge." He promised her. She smiled and nodded.


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**Tessa's POV**_

Tessa sat on the mad bus beside a, hopefully, sleeping man. He wasn't breathing properly so Tessa started to doubt his liveliness. "Hey, Tessa, how've you been?" Tom asked her.  
"I've been fine, Mr Mason. You?"  
"I've been better, but everyone has, haven't they?"  
"I guess. Maybe the homeless would be glad to have this." She tried to look on the Brightside. Anything that would've distracted her.  
"I bet they would. You coping okay?"  
"With what?"  
"Tessa, Ben's told me everything he knows about you. You don't have a family."  
"I do, the 2nd Mass is my family."  
"A real family, I mean."  
"No, but your family has been like another one. Your boys are very special, Mr Mason."  
"I know."  
"I didn't know you or your boys before but you've been so welcoming and nice...none's been like that to me in a long time."  
"So where are you from?"  
"Near here."  
"You have a strange accent, if you don't mind me saying."  
"No, it's fine. My mother was British, I was born there."  
"Oh, but brought up in America. Where abouts in England?"  
"London." She told him. He nodded.  
"You're a nice girl, I like you." Tessa laughed.  
"Thanks."  
"No problem."  
"Dr. Glass! Get everyone out now! Over the bridge!" Weaver shouted.  
"I'm not abandoning the sick!" She shouted back.  
"Damn it!" Weaver shouted.  
"Tessa, take Matt, Lourdes go with them." Glass barked.  
"What about you?" Lourdes asked.  
"I'm getting this bus over the bridge. Go! Now!" Tessa grabbed Matt and ran out of the bus. Lourdes followed them over the bridge. Pounding feet echoed.  
"It's a Mech!" Matt whispered furiously.  
"I know, go on!" Tessa pushed them forward and they ran to safety. She reached for her gun. The bus just got over the bridge before it came after them properly.  
"Dad!" Ben shouted. Tessa kept him back as Tom tried to jump over the bridge but it crashed into the water, Tom with it. "No, no!"  
"Ben." He hugged her.  
"Not again." He muttered.  
"Tom!" Dr. Glass shouted as he was dragged out of the water.  
"Dad!" The three Mason boys shouted as they ran to hug their father.

The 2nd Mass set up camp not too far from the bridge. It was somewhere quiet; somewhere no alien species could find them. Tessa helped Maggie to set up tents and then helped Lourdes with fixing up their own tent. "Jimmy!" Tessa shouted to the boy at the mouth of their tent. "Come help us!"  
"What's the matter, can't do the heavy lifting?" He joked.  
"Can do it better than you!" Lourdes shot back.  
"You probably could." He reasoned. Jimmy helped Tessa to put the cots back in and then helped her put the sheets back on them. "Hey, who's this?" He asked, picking up a photo frame. It was smashed but you could still see the image inside; one of a little girl and an older woman with no hair.  
"That's me and my Mom." She told him.  
"Nice, you look...young there."  
"I was twelve."  
"You look older than that, but not your age now."  
"What?"  
"Doesn't matter, is this you're Dad?" He asked, picking up another one. Again the frame was smashed and the glass missing but the image just stuck inside.  
"No, that's my brother."  
"Oh, he looks..."  
"They were practically identical." She smiled to herself. "They liked it that way, my brother was offered different ways to make him look totally different but he didn't want that."  
"How old was he?"  
"When he died?" Tessa choked back tears. "It was a month before this, he was nineteen." Jimmy nodded.  
"How did you tell the difference between them?"  
"Jack had brown eyes, my Dad had...green eyes. Like mine but darker."  
"Your Mom had brown eyes?" Tessa nodded.  
"She was really pretty. My Dad barely kept her. He used to tell me stories of when they were younger and that stupid William Red kept trying to steal her."  
"But he didn't." Jimmy told her.  
"No, but he tried. My Dad would tell me all the fights he got into with him, he always won." Tessa laughed.  
"I can see where you got it from."  
"My fighting skills?" Tessa asked. Jimmy hesitated, as if he wanted to say something else but instead just nodded. "I don't think I'm as good as he was."  
"Did he used to teach you?"  
"No, Jack did though."  
"He taught you well."  
"Not all that well, actually, he used to call me the Ugly Duckling I was so weak."  
"Your not weak, Tessa."  
"I was back then; I used to be terrified to hit someone. And then my Mom died and I just felt so...angry all of the time." Tessa choked back on her tears. Her head leant on Jimmy's shoulder.  
"It's okay, Tessa...we've all lost people, we all know how you've felt." Tessa nodded. "I lost my parents too, and my little sister."  
"What was she called?"  
"Bethany, she was only nine."  
"How'd she..."  
"Mech shot her in the back."  
"I'm sorry, Jimmy, I didn't know."  
"It's okay, I've never told anyone." He stared at her.  
"I won't tell anyone, don't worry." She promised. He smiled.  
"I'm on Patrol tonight, I think Ben's down at the Mad Bus."  
"Um, Thanks Jimmy." Tessa smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**Ben's POV**_

"Hey, Ben, when are you on patrol again?" Tessa asked him. She took a sip of her tea; apparently it was a British thing, something her mother liked to drink too.  
"Me and Jimmy are going tonight." Tessa's face drops. "Why?"  
"No reason, can I come with?"  
"No." She couldn't come, they were going to hunt _skitters_!  
"I've got nothing to do anyways, I'll come."  
"No! I mean...we work better just us two..."  
"Oh."  
"Yeah. Sorry, I think Matt said he wanted you to read to him."  
"That can wait, right? I just think I need to practice my aim, you know, I'm slacking a little."  
"Yeah, you are."  
"Will you help me?"  
"Me? I need to get some sleep."  
"Come on, it'll only be a few minutes. I'm not that rusty, I promise."  
"I'm too tired."  
"What's up with you?"  
"I'm just tired."  
"Fine, I'll leave you alone to sleep." She stood up and stormed off.  
"You know you'll only make things worse if you push her away." His Dad told him.  
"I just don't want her to get hurt."  
"No, you don't want to be hurt by her."  
"Tessa wouldn't hurt me."  
"If you push her away, Ben she just wants to know someone's there for her. That someone would care."  
"I do care, I'm just..."  
"Ben, go tell her your sorry."  
"Did this happen to you and Mom?"  
"I was scared so I pushed her away and then I realised, I'd never have anyone else. And telling her I was sorry was the best decision I ever made."  
"It was?"  
"Do you think you'd be here, alive and born, if I hadn't?" Ben shook his head. "Go on, tell her..."  
"I will, she needs a little bit to cool off."  
"Give her an hour." Tom agreed.

Ben found Tessa practicing her shooting. "Hey, Tessa."  
"Why aren't you sleeping?" She asked him, it dripped with sarcasm.  
"I thought shooting practice was more important?"  
"Just when it's not with Me."  
"No, I came to say I'm sorry."  
"Don't bother." She fired her gun and Ben became more...scared of his girlfriend.  
"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have treated you like that."  
"Damn right." She told him.  
"I just...I don't know what to say, what do you want me to say?"  
"I want you to say that your not mad at me; because I haven't done anything."  
"I know, I'm not mad at you, Tess."  
"You seem it."  
"I'm not! I promise."  
"But you are, Ben, I don't know what emotional stuff you've been through but don't take it out on Me."  
"I'm not!" She finally turned to face him. "I'm not." He repeated. She dropped her gun.  
"Don't lock me out, you might not need me but I need you, Ben. Please." Ben wrapped his arms around her.  
"I won't." He promised her.

**Authors Note **

**Hey:D First of all, I'm just saying I'm really happy with the response I've been getting to this story! I'm sorry I've been inactive and stuff, and I wasn't expecting this story to sort of take off but it has! So thank you:D **

**Second thing, I'm noticing how I haven't got any reviews! Please, please, please! Review! It makes me so happy when I get reviews or I get messages, which I have been getting, so review and tell me where I'm going wrong or something pleeassee!**

**And Last thing! I need another character, a girl, for Jimmy! So If someone could help me with it, I'd be ever soooo grateful! I've been getting WRITERS BLOCK so I haven't gotten round to trying to make one for him:'( Sorry Jimmy/Dylan Authors! **

**So, message me ideas for characters! **

**Abs_walkers_12:D**


	9. Chapter 9

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**Ben's POV**_

"Hey, Ben, can I tell you something?" Jimmy asked him.  
"What?" Ben replied.  
"You know how I told you I liked Tessa?"  
"Yeah."  
"I don't like her anymore, well I do but...I like someone else."  
"Who?"  
"There's a guy..." Ben's eyes opened wide.  
"But...your...a...guy..."  
"I know, Ben, his name's Logan."  
"Logan who helps with the kids?" Jimmy nodded.  
"I like him, a lot...more than I've liked anyone."  
"Why do you like him?"  
"He's nice, and...Cute, and I like him...is that weird?"  
"No, loads of people are gay. Jimmy, it's nothing new."  
"It feels new to me...it feels...weird, my Dad would be so disappointed now."  
"Why would he be disappointed?"  
"He wanted me to the perfect son, you know with the grandkids and that...I was his only son."  
"Oh, see I didn't have that with my Dad. Hal was the one who'd have the grandkids; I could do whatever...as long as it was legal." Jimmy nodded.  
"Do you think he likes me...back?"  
"Probably, I don't know."  
"Do you think I should ask him out?"  
"Not so fast, Jimmy, you might still have a shot with a girl. Don't throw that away."  
"But Ben, I really...really...really like Logan."  
"Do what you want, Jimmy, it's your life you ask him out if you want."  
"Is this weird to you?"  
"A little, have you ever...liked...me?"  
"Ben, I do have standards, don't flatter yourself."  
"I'm not...I was just wondering."  
"Well don't, I don't like you, or have ever liked you."  
"I know a girl that likes you, she's nice."  
"Who is she?"  
"You know Soph?"  
"Yeah."  
"She likes you."  
"Get out of here! She doesn't talk much does she?"  
"No but she likes Tessa and Tessa told Me."  
"Why does she like Tessa?"  
"Hey! There's plenty things to like Tessa for!"  
"Name three."  
"You like Tessa."  
"And? Name three!"  
"She's pretty, smart, and awesome."  
"Awesome doesn't count!"  
"Fine, she's a really good fighter."  
"That counts." Jimmy smiles.  
"Why do you like Logan?" Jimmy shrugs.  
"I don't know."  
"Would you go out with Sophie?"  
"I don't know, maybes."  
"You should, you're perfect for each other."  
"Tessa tell you that?" Ben nodded. "I like Logan."  
"I was just saying."  
"Well don't, I'm sure she's nice but I like Logan. Don't tell anyone, please?"  
"Sure, I won't. Not even Tessa?"  
"Not Tessa, especially!" Jimmy shouted.  
"Fine, fine, I won't tell anyone at all." Jimmy nodded.  
"Thanks."

_**Authors Note:D**_

_**Hey! Just to say two things, first of all Sophie you're reading about? I didn't come up with her **_Mrs. Dylan Author—_**this awesome person did! She'll come into the story \ bit more soon I promise! **_

_**And last thing, I want to know what you all think of this! Jimmy being Gay and everything Let me know! **_

_**Thanks for reading, don't forget to review!**_

_**Abs_walkers_12**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**Tessa's POV**_

"Hey, Jimmy, morning." Tessa smiled at him. The rain poured down heavily and Jimmy looked absolutely soaked. "Wanna come in?"  
"It's freezing out here." He moaned.  
"I told you to stop patrolling." She grinned at him.  
"Stop being mean." Jimmy sunk beside her. "Why aren't you in Mason's tent?"  
"You know I like the rain."  
"No, I didn't."  
"Well you do now, I like the rain and the sound of thunder."  
"Nice to know."  
"Hey, can I tell you something?" Tessa asked him.  
"Sure, anything."  
"I know this girl and she really likes you."  
"Really?"  
"You don't seem very interested."  
"It's just that I don't really like anyone at the moment, you know with the whole invading aliens..." Jimmy trailed off.  
"Liar, you're lonely, you either need a puppy or a girl. And we have a short supply of both, but we have no puppies left since we lost Nemo."  
"Yeah, I miss him, he was a good dog."  
"Well we have no puppies. You need a girl, and she's really nice and I know you'll love her."  
"Tessa, I don't need a girlfriend, or a puppy or any other means of company."  
"Yes you do! I don't want you be one of those people that end up having fifteen hundred cats Jimmy!"  
"Tessa, we're at war with aliens, if anything I'll have a slender to take out of this." Tessa slapped him hard on the shoulder.  
"DON'T JOKE ABOUT THAT!" She shouted.  
"Okay, okay! Sorry."  
"So, are you going to at least be nice to her?"  
"No."  
"But I know you'll like her."  
"Maybes I won't, maybe I don't like..."  
"Jimmy are you..."  
"Shush." Jimmy said. "Not here." He whispered.  
"You are! That is so awesome! Who do you like? Do you want me to set you up with someone?"  
"I do like someone but I don't want you to set me up with them."  
"Who? Who's the lucky...I'll shut up."  
"Thank you, don't make a big deal out of this, please?"  
"Okay, but does Ben know?"  
"Yes, I told him first."  
"That jerk! He didn't tell me!"  
"Tessa, I told him not to tell you because you'd do this."  
"Do what?"  
"Freak out."  
"I didn't freak out! I bet he asked you if you liked him!" Jimmy nodded. "That shallow moron. You have standards."  
"Says his girlfriend."  
"Hey, I settled." Jimmy laughed at her.  
"Your soaked, you should go back to sleep."  
"No, I'm fine."  
"Take my jacket." Tessa shook her head. "The last thing we need is for you to be sipping down chicken soup, if your annoying when you get period pain, god knows what your like when your sick."  
"Hey!" Jimmy smiled and shared his jacket between them.

When Tessa woke up the next morning, Jimmy was asleep; his jacket was draped across her shoulders. He looked peaceful. That was until he got kicked in the head. "What are you two doing?" Ben asked.  
"Ben, calm your boots, we fell asleep." Tessa told him. "And there's no need to kick people in the head." Ben rolled his eyes.  
"Ow, what was that for?" Jimmy asked, rubbing his head.  
"You need a shower..." Tessa advised him. His cheek, from where he'd been lying on the ground, was full of mud.  
"Yeah, you do. Desperately. It's everywhere." Jimmy stood up and shoulder-barged Ben.  
"That's what you get for kicking him in the head!" Tessa shouted, laughing.  
"Really? Come here, give me a hug!" Ben shouted he wrapped his muddy body around Tessa and made her shriek.  
"Get off me Ben!" She shrieked. He just squeezed her tighter. The rain hadn't stopped and they were all drenched to the skin. Especially Tessa who had managed to worm out of Ben's grip and landed into Jimmy's instead.  
"I'm not letting you go!" Jimmy joked.  
"Hey! Guys! Pack it in, I've got afternoon shift." Maggie complains. "Why are you all wet and muddy?"  
"It's raining."  
"I know put, how did you get mud in your hair Tessa?"  
"They did it!" She shouted she pointed to the boys and they tried to look innocent. Maggie just rolled her eyes.  
"Just be a little quieter, for petes sake." She smiled and returned to the tent.


	11. Chapter 11

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Eleven **_

_**Tessa's POV**_

Sophie was probably the prettiest girl in the 2nd Mass. She sat cleaning her gun, she was new in Tessa's patrol. "Hey, Sophie, how are you?" Tessa asked. Sophie just nodded. "Excited?"  
"Sure."  
"You know Jimmy's a great guy, he'll have your back no matter what, and he's a nice Guy."  
"I know he is." She muttered. "I'm a little scared."  
"Why?"  
"They killed my parents and they have my sister, they'll come for me."  
"Don't be scared of them Soph, your better, stronger than them. They killed my Dad and they harnessed my boyfriend."  
"The Mason boy?"  
"Yes, the Mason boy."  
"His spikes are still there, don't they bother you?"  
"Not really. I guess not."  
"They'd annoy the hell out of me, just them always being there."  
"They are annoying but I don't notice them as much as I used to. Here, take more ammo." Tessa threw a clip at Soph and she caught one-handed.  
"How old are you?"  
"What's the date today?"  
"October 5th."  
"Fifteen in a month."  
"Wow, you should be in school dealing with pimples and boy trouble, not chucking ammo at an almost fourteen year old."  
"I'd rather do this to be honest, I couldn't deal with pimples." Tessa joked.  
"I hate them too."  
"Hey, are you going out tonight?" Logan Jake stood above the girls. He was pretty cute, he was tall and pale with deep brown eyes and sandy hair.  
"Yeah, we are." Tessa smiled.  
"Good luck, if it weren't for you then we wouldn't have food or anything. You save people's lives every day."  
"That's not us, Logan, that's the big kids; I'm just here to look pretty."  
"You doubt yourself."  
"I've been told that many a times." Tessa smiled.  
"Hey! Logan! Anne said she needed you for something, I don't know what." Ben interrupted. Tessa narrowed her eyes at him as Logan walked off. "What?" Tessa shook her head.  
"It doesn't matter." She told him, loading more ammo into her belt.  
"So, I heard your birthday was coming up." Ben sunk beside her.  
"In a month's time, yes."  
"Your birthday's in November?"  
"Yes, not that it matters, I mean it'll only mean I'm a year older."  
"It does matter? Of course it matters, your going to be fifteen."  
"Ben, it'd be an accomplishment if I get through today."  
"What do you want for it?"  
"Shut up, as far as I'm concerned I don't have one. It's just a day closer to the day I die anyways."  
"Hey, I don't like the deep Tessa, snap out of her."  
"Shut up now Ben."  
"Let me get you something special, please."  
"No. Now sit down and load ammo." She ordered.


	12. Chapter 12

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Twelve **_

_**Tessa's POV**_

Tessa clutched her gun to her chest and ran. "Sophie." Tessa muttered.  
"Tessa, it's okay, I'm here." She whispered back.  
"I think we've lost them." Tessa panted, she clutched her knees and tried to get her breath back.  
"But the only trouble is that we've also lost Ben and Jimmy."  
"What? I thought they were following us?"  
"They were. But they must've got lost too."  
"You mean we're alone, just great. Just freaking great."  
"It's not my fault..."  
"I know, sorry. Guess, there's only one way to find them? Run back and hope to god that we do find them. Before the Mech's following us do." She took the lead and the girls tried to retrace their footsteps. A twig cracked under Tessa's boot and she jumped and almost screamed. She wasn't scared; she'd been on plenty of missions like this. Where she'd lost Ben or Hal or even Maggie. One time she lost the whole group and almost got harnessed, she never was good at directions. A large light washed over them and Tessa pushed Sophie down to the leaves on the ground. Tessa stared at her; tears were in Sophie's eyes. "Shush, its okay."  
"I just wanted to get rid of them, to help. Now, now, I'm going to die." She sobbed quietly.  
"We are not going to die, Sophie. We're going to shoot the hell out of that thing, run back to camp, and report the dumb freaks missing." Sophie nodded. "Now, on the count of three we skirt around the bushes over there and I will start fire. You run as fast as you can and I'll follow you."  
"There's no way you can take it out."  
"I'm not going to. It's a distress fire; they'll hear It."  
"Ben and Jimmy?"  
"No, Bill and Bob, of course Ben and Jimmy." Tessa snapped.  
"What if it shoots back?"  
"Then I'm hoping that I'm not going to get myself killed, are you ready?" Sophie shook her head. Tessa smiled sympathetically. "Where's that fighting spirit gone?" She joked. Sophie gulped. "On the count of three, One...Two...Three!" She shouted. Sophie set off and Tessa ran after her, letting her gun fire at the Mech. The Mech fire back but Tessa dodged them all. She heard Sophie scream and ran faster.

When she got to where the scream had come from, Sophie wasn't there. "Sophie!" She screamed. "Sophie! God, please, please." She shouted. She noticed Sophie's gun belt, Tessa picked it up. "No, not Sophie. Not another harnessed." She paced for a little while. "Sophie!"  
"Tessa! Is that you? Tessa?" Someone shouted. It was Jimmy.  
"Jimmy! Help! I've lost Sophie, is Ben with you?"  
"No, I lost him." Jimmy stood a foot away from her.  
"How?" She shouted.  
"Calm down." Jimmy told her. "We were being chased, we lost you, and Ben went to find you. He didn't come back."  
"Did they take him?"  
"No, I would've heard him in distress."  
"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT." She shouted at him. "We're going to get them."  
"Have you got any bullets left?"  
"No."  
"We can't, Tess, we need more time."  
"We can't just let them go missing. We're going, right now. We don't need bullets."  
"Bull." Tessa punched Jimmy, hard in the face. He collapsed to the ground. "Okay, we don't need bullets." He muttered, clutching his eye. Tessa helped him up.  
"Sorry." She muttered.  
"Don't be, I'm used to it."  
"We don't know where they went. At all."  
"Sophie went that way, I heard something in the bushes when you hit me. And Ben..."  
"Ben will be where we were. Where I was firing at the Mech. I'm going after him."  
"No, Tessa, we can't lose each other. We'll go after Sophie first, leaving a trail for Ben."  
"And what if they have him again?" Jimmy hesitated.  
"What about Sophie?"  
"We'll get her later."  
"You're saying Ben's more important to you."  
"Yes! Right now, Jimmy, he is!"  
"We'll go after Ben first then. But just remember, Tess, if she dies it's on your conscious."  
"Now, that's Bull."


	13. Chapter 13

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**Ben's POV**_

"Tessa?" Ben shouted for the fifteenth time. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge. He was worried, they'd lost Tessa and Sophie maybes half an hour ago and Ben was terrified. He wondered if Jimmy was still in the clearing where he'd left him, that was stupid. Leaving Jimmy for Skitter bait, he was so stupid. There was a rustling in the bushes and Ben jumped, startled. "Tessa?" He whispered. No-one replied. "Tessa? Come on, please. Don't be..." Stupid? Was he really going to finish that sentence with...that? Stupid was exactly what he'd been. "Come on, please. If your here." He stared hard at the bush. "Okay, I guess she's not here."

Tessa could be anywhere by now, Ben never had expected her to stay in the same place. He'd heard her fire, all willy nilly, twenty minutes ago. She'd be long gone now. He imagined her cradling Sophie, trying not to cry. But he shook it off, Tessa wouldn't be like that. She'd be punching the crap out of something. The bush rustled again. "Is anyone there?" He asked. "I'm not going to hurt you, unless you're a Skitter. Then I'll blow your head off." A little girl stepped out of the bush; she was tiny, younger than Matt. She had a wiry bush of brown for hair, tanned skin and deep brown eyes. "What's your name?" She started crying. "It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you, what's your name?"  
"I'm...Melisa." She sobbed, she looked about five.  
"What are you doing in that bush?"  
"They...they took my Mommy." She sobbed.  
"Its okay, come here, they took my Mommy too. Are you alone?" She nodded. "I live near here, in a camp, with other people. You want me to take you there?" Melisa nodded. "Have you seen a girl with brown hair, almost black, with green eyes, she smells like vanilla?"  
"No."  
"Just I'm looking for her. Did you see anyone?"  
"I saw a boy..." She struggled to breathe through her crying.  
"With brown hair?" She nodded. "Where'd he go?" She pointed to through the bush. "Will you come with me? To find my friends?" She nodded. Ben took her hand and treaded through the bush with her. "Did you have any other family?"  
"My Daddy."  
"What happened to him?"  
"I don't know..." She told him.  
"Stop right there!" Someone shouted. "That's my sister." Ben paused.  
"I'm sorry, she was just alone. I was going to find my friends, I've lost them. I didn't mean any trouble."  
"Melisa, get here." Melisa didn't move. The man seemed annoyed. If you could call him a man, he looked about seventeen. Same age as Hal. "Now." He growled.  
"Look, it's obvious she doesn't want to be there. I'll take her with me."  
"It's not an option."  
"I don't want to..." Melisa whined.  
"Look, it's okay."  
"Jumbo." He called. Melisa was grabbed and Ben pulled out his gun.  
"Jumbo drops her or I shoot him." He threatened. Her brother did a double take.  
"Come on, it's three to one."  
"I don't care, I'll kill you all." He laughed at Ben.  
"Bull." He told him.  
"I'm giving Jumbo here five seconds to drop the girl."  
"Davie, she's not worth it. She'll just slow us down." His friend muttered. His friend was a girl, about Tessa's age, she looked like an older version of Melisa.  
"I don't care, she's my sister."  
"Davie! He's a gun to my _head_. Let him have the kid!" Jumbo shouted.  
"Three seconds." Ben muttered.  
"Fine! Fine! You can have her. I don't really care." Davie blurted. "Have the kid, do what you want with her." Ben dropped his gun and Jumbo dropped Melisa.  
"Now leave." Ben muttered to him. The three ran off and left Melisa on the ground. Ben helped her up.  
"Why..." She started.  
"Don't ask, you look like a nice kid. And your brother...he looks..."  
"He didn't hurt me."  
"Then why didn't you..."  
"Jumbo did."  
"Where did he hurt you?" She pulled the back of her top up to reveal bruises that were a horrible shade of purple. "Well, he won't hurt you anymore. Not while I'm here. Hey, you know if my friend Tessa was here? She'd go back after them and hurt them."  
"Even Davie and Jessie?" Ben nodded. Melisa smiled. "That'd be funny." She giggled.  
"It would." Ben agreed.


	14. Chapter 14

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**Tessa's POV**_

They'd been searching for Ben for an hour. Tessa was tired and Jimmy was tired but they still didn't give up. He had to be close. "Ben!" Tessa shouted again.  
"Tessa, he's probably back at camp."  
"No he isn't Jimmy. If you think that then you obviously don't know Mason."  
"You haven't called him that in a while, you must be Mad."  
"I am." Tessa stopped. "Hey, look at this." She bent down and picked up the cloth.  
"Yeah it's a rag."  
"No, it's Ben's gun cleaning rag."  
"You think he was here?"  
"Yes, look, there's boot tracks."  
"Tessa, we don't know they're his."  
"Size five. They're his. But...there's size twelve's too. Kid twelve's." Jimmy shrugged.  
"It's creepy that you know that. It's really creepy."  
"My Mom did forensic."  
"Oh, she taught you some?"  
"Yeah, you could say that." She stood up and pointed towards a clearing. "That way." She told Jimmy.

They continued walking; they followed the tracks made in the dirt. "Ben!" Tessa shouted.  
"Tessa?" It was Ben.  
"Ben!" Tessa started running towards his voice. They both met half-way. "Oh my god, I thought..." He wrapped his arms around her.  
"Is this Tessa?" A little girl's voice interrupted them. Ben broke the hug.  
"Yes, Tessa and Jimmy this is Melisa, Melisa this is Tessa and Jimmy."  
"Hi." Jimmy said. Tessa stayed silent.  
"Where'd you find her?" She asked.  
"In a bush."  
"Any reason why you kept her?"  
"I think he's hinting at something." Jimmy joked.  
"Shut up. I couldn't leave her."  
"It was so cool. He told Jumbo he'd shoot him!" The little girl shouted. Tessa bent down to the girl.  
"Did he? Was there any need? Did he need to shoot Jumbo?"  
"Jumbo hurt me, when he looked after Me."  
"Hurt you how?"  
"Look at her back." Melisa pulled the back of her top up and Tessa gasped.  
"Where'd they go?" She asked Ben.  
"I don't know, but she's safer with us."  
"If I find them, I'll..."  
"I know. I'll help you." Tessa smiled at Ben and then at the little girl.  
"Come on."  
"Where's Sophie?"  
"We lost her too."  
"We have to find her."  
"You don't say." Jimmy shot. Tessa took Melisa's hand.  
"Which way do we go?"  
"I don't know, she just...disappeared." Tessa said.  
"We have to go back to camp." Jimmy crossed his arms and leant against the tree beside him.  
"We can't! We have to find her." Tessa protested.  
"Tessa, look. Your dead on your feet, Melisa doesn't look too far from starvation and Jimmy's on another patrol in the morning. He'll go after her then with Hal when he has more strength and ammo."  
"You can go, I'm going after her." Ben sighed, picked Tessa up and threw her over his shoulder.  
"I thought you'd say that." He muttered. Tessa kicked and kicked to get him to free her but he didn't let her go.

"Where have you three been?" Weaver shouted at them. Tessa shifted her head and then just let it drop back onto Ben's shoulder. She was too tired to do anything now. "And where's Sophie?"  
"We lost her. Well, Tessa did. She just went..." Ben started  
"Poof." Tessa finished.  
"Who's this?" Weaver asked.  
"Melisa, Ben found her in a bush somewhere. It wasn't safe to leave her there."  
"We ran into her brother too, bit stupid actually." Melisa stayed silent, hiding behind Jimmy.  
"You four get some rest, I'll send some patrols out for Sophie."  
"I'll go with them." Tessa choked on her words.  
"With all due respect, Tessa, your falling asleep now we can't have you dropping off in a field." Weaver told her. "Ben, make sure she doesn't leave your side. You know she'll only do something stupid." Ben nodded and Weaver walked away.  
"C'mon then, Melisa can stay in our tent and I'll make sure sleepy head doesn't move."  
"Ben, please." Tessa started.  
"Shut up and go back to sleep."

Ben practically threw Tessa into his cot and left her as he went to see to Melisa. Tessa was too tired to get up and make a run for it, plus she wouldn't get far anyways. So she just laid there, her eyes half-closed. Her body ached with sleep deprivation. She turned to her head to the side, her body with it, and closed her eyes completely.


	15. Chapter 15

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**Ben's POV**_

When Ben woke up the next morning, Melisa was asleep beside him and Tessa. She looked so little and fragile. Ben smiled at her and laid still. If he turned one way he'd crush Melisa and if he turned the other he would flatten Tessa. Both were a very bad idea. Faded sunlight washed over Ben, heating his head. Hal was on duty now and his Dad was still asleep with Matt. What was he going to do with Melisa? He and Tessa could hardly look after themselves, let alone a five year old. But he'd developed a certain attachment to this five year old, and so had Tessa. When she had found about her scars something showed in her face, she wanted to go and kill Jumbo. She'd never met him but she wanted to kill him. That was something he'd never seen Tessa feel. Her face was scary. But he'd felt the exact same way, he should've shot Jumbo. He wished he had. He wished he'd never lost Tessa and Sophie.

Sophie was gone. Because of him. She was wandering right now, in a forest all alone. Tessa was right; they shouldn't have come back to camp. They should've gone after her. Ben just wanted to smash something, his body shook with anger. Tessa had been right. Tessa turned over and her eyes fluttered open. "Ben?" She asked. He stayed silent. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine." He lied. Tessa looked somehow prettier in the morning. Her hair was a little frizzy but that was it. The sunlight highlighted her face and, believe it or not, it shone.  
"Have they gone to find Sophie?" She wiped her mouth.  
"I don't know." Tessa swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a while.  
"I'm going to find out."  
"Tessa, wait. You were right; we should've gone to find her. For all we know she could be harnessed right now." Tessa gulped and stared at Ben.  
"Let's not think like that." She told him.

Ben sat up and looked over her shoulder, Melisa still slept. He sighed and saw his Dad had woken up too. "Hey, Ben." He said.  
"Morning Dad."  
"So who's the little girl?"  
"Melisa, I found her last night, she was alone and it wasn't safe." His Dad just nodded.  
"So what are you going to do with her?"  
"Look after her, it can't be that hard." His Dad laughed.  
"That's what I thought, you see this grey?" He pointed to his hair. "That's just from Tessa. I've only known her a month."  
"Yeah, but that's Tessa. I think_ I'm_ going grey from her."  
"You can keep her safe Ben, that's what your good at. Where is Tessa anyways?"  
"She just left, we lost Sophie last night."  
"And she's gone to see if there are patrols for her?" Ben nodded. "You know Tessa is a nice girl, but she does a lot of stupid things."  
"I know."  
"But so do you, so your both even." Melisa stirred and shot up, she screamed.  
"Melisa!" Ben shouted. "It's okay, shush, its okay. It was just a bad dream." Melisa choked on her own sobs, just like when they had met. "What happened?"  
"Jumbo...he...came..."  
"Shush, that's not going to happen, not while we're here. He's not going to go anywhere near you." Ben smoothed down her hair and held her close. She was shivering.  
"I...know..." She sobbed.  
"Shush, c'mon, we'll get you something to eat. Then I'll take you around to meet everyone." Melisa nodded, her hair bobbed up and down. Ben took her hand and together they walked out of the tent.


	16. Chapter 16

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**Tessa's POV**_

"You mean they haven't even been searching for her?" Tessa shouted at Captain Weaver.  
"Calm down Tessa, we've had more..."  
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY IMPORTANT!" She shouted.  
"Fine, Tessa, there's no need to be this..."  
"THERE IS EVERY NEED, HOW DARE YOU! Would this happen if I went missing?"  
"If you did I wouldn't have you shouting at Me."  
"Would you be searching for me?" Tessa challenged.  
"Yes, we would because Ben wouldn't rest."  
"Well I'm not resting until we've found Soph."  
"That's very well but Sophie hasn't been found yet."  
"Have you even tried?"  
"Yes." Weaver shouted back.  
"You told me you hadn't!"  
"I thought you'd go away if I did!"  
"You're not searching hard enough!"  
"Mason, sit down and talk to me when you've cooled down." Tessa sunk onto the chair and caught the stress ball Weaver threw at her. She squeezed it until she felt better. "Are you ready to talk yet?"  
"Yes."  
"Now, we have found roughly where she is but we haven't found her yet."  
"Do the Skitter's have her?"  
"No, we think she's being held hostage by three idiots. One looks bulky, one looks like your Melisa and the other one is just plain stupid."  
"Have you talked to them?"  
"No but we have been watching them, Jimmy and Hal have been on it all morning. We want you and Ben to join them later on, maybes even go in there. See if she's actually there." Tessa nodded.  
"Anything." She told him. Weaver nodded and she was excused.

It was raining outside when she left Weaver's office. She saw Tom sat down in the big tent. She wandered in and sat opposite him. "How's the search for Sophie?" She turned her head to see Logan stood behind her.  
"I'm going tonight." Normally Tessa would have been taking in account how cute Logan was but today she really wasn't in the mood. He sat beside her and smiled.  
"You truly are amazing, Tessa, I could never do what you do."  
"Of course you could. You choose to the most important thing, Logan, you look after the kids."  
"I've met Melisa, she seems sweet."  
"She is." Tessa tilted her head to the side and smiled. "She's..."  
"Not like the other kids. She's distant."  
"Is this like a parent's evening because I'm not the girl for that."  
"Tessa she seems so have made a strong attachment to you and Ben, she treats you like you are her parents. For that little girl, you are. You might not want that but it's a little late."  
"I know." She sighed. She has made a certain attachment but she wasn't ready. She wanted to just get grinded into Skitter bait and just...die. That's it. Tessa "I know Logan." Logan stood up, nodded and walked out of the tent.

"Hey Tessa!" Ben shouted. "Wait up." Tessa stopped where she was and waited for Ben to catch up with her.  
"Where's Melisa?" She asked him.  
"Matt's playing with her." Tessa nodded and he took her hand in his. "Did Weaver tell you?"  
"We're going to get Sophie."  
"Yeah, tonight."  
"Do you think she's there?"  
"Probably, we'll have to see."  
"I hope she's there, I can't bear to think of her all alone. She's tough but no one can stay out there long."  
"I know, Tessa, I hope she's there too."  
"We'll find out won't we. Just...promise me..." She hesitated. "Do they still have contact with you?"  
"No. They don't have any contact with me." Ben promised. He hugged her and then stared at her. "How many days until your birthday now?"  
"I'm not keeping track." She admitted.  
"It's on the fifth, right?" She nodded. "Thirty more days."  
"Ben, can we just get through tonight? Please?"  
"Fine, but...what kind of books do you like?"  
"Harry Potter, you know things like that. Why?"  
"No reason. I love Harry Potter by the way."  
"I was a massive Potterhead before all of this. I used to tell myself I was going to marry Oliver Wood."  
"I had a thing for Hermione."  
"I wonder what happened to all of the celebrities...I wonder if they're dead. Or hiding somewhere."  
"Maybes their beauty stunned the skitters away?"  
"Maybes." Tessa laughed.


	17. Chapter 17

_**The Little Scout **_

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_**Ben's POV**_

That night Ben, Jimmy, Tessa, Hal and Maggie were crouched beside an old shack. "When do we go in?" Jimmy asked Hal.  
"On the count of three." Hal replied.  
"One...two...three!" Tessa muttered and ran for it.  
"Your girlfriend is so stupid." Hal told Ben. Ben shrugged and they all ran after her. The old shack was tiny and falling apart. They caught up with Tessa and Ben covered her mouth as she tried to scream.  
"Their all stupid here, now shut up." Ben whispered.  
Tessa nodded. They advanced to another little room. "Sophie." Tessa whispered into his hand.  
"I know." He whispered back. She sat tied to a chair. Ben let go of Tessa and she ran into the room. Ben went after her, armed with his gun.  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the boy who took my sister?" Ben recognised him. It was Davie. Next to him stood the girl who looked like Melisa, Jumbo had Tessa restrained against the wall.  
"What are you doing here?" Ben asked him.  
"I think Jumbo likes your little friend..."  
"Let me go!" Tessa screamed.  
"Why don't we do a swap? We'll take your little friends and you can keep Melisa."  
"No. I take them both back and I keep Melisa. That's my deal."  
"You silly boy, I have Melisa standing outside. I think you should keep better watch, she tends to...wander off." Melisa walked through the room and was grabbed by the girl.  
"Let her go. Let all of them go or we'll blow you to bits." Jimmy shouted. The three of them advanced and stood beside Ben.  
Davie laughed. "But we quite like Sophia."  
"I don't really care. Let the girls go or you'll get some serious damage done to your skulls." Hal shouted.  
Ben aimed his gun at Jumbo. "Let them go." He said calmly. Tessa squirmed a little, trying to get out of his grasp.  
"C'mon, just one night...please, she's so pretty." Jumbo ran a finger against her cheek and Ben shot at him. It just skimmed his head.  
"The next one won't miss." He promised. "You do that again and I will kill you."  
"C'mon, Davie, I told you we should let them go. Give them the girls and let's go."  
"Davie? That's your name?" Hal asked. "Look, we won't hurt you if you give us the girls."  
"No."  
"Their not worth it." The girl told him.  
"Look, the only defence you have is big guy over there, you best just let them go." Maggie told them.  
"How do you know that's all we have?"  
"I'm not stupid, you'd all be showing it off."  
"Fine, We'll go." Davie said. "Jumbo."  
"I don't want to, I like her."  
It all happened so fast. Tessa shifted when Jumbo was distracted and she had the upper hand. She kicked him and punched at his jaw. He clutched his jaw as she sent another kick. Maggie was busy beating up Davie. In all of the confusion, Ben scooped Melisa up into his arms while Jimmy untied Sophie. Hal helped Tessa but she seemed to be doing okay on her own. Then the boom of Mech feet shook the shack.

"We have to get out of here!" Ben shouted to everyone. He turned to the girl who looked like Melisa. "You're coming with us!" He took her arm and dragged her out of the shack; everyone else followed him, just as the Mech started firing. Melisa clutched onto his neck as he ran with her. "Melisa hang on!" He shouted, he turned around and shot at the Mech. Melisa slipped and screamed.

"Melisa!" Tessa screamed, she ran towards the child. Melisa lay on the floor, she wasn't breathing. "No!" Tears streamed down Tessa's face as she picked up her limp body. She ran with her back to camp.


	18. Chapter 18

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

_**Tessa's POV**_

"Dr. Glass!" Tessa screamed. "You have to help her! Please!"  
"What happened to her?" Dr. Glass asked.  
"Shot down by a Mech, will she be alright?" Ben was panicked just as much as Tessa was.  
"I don't Know, Ben, I can't promise anything."  
Tessa was still crying, tears streamed down her face.  
"You'll have to leave." Ben took her outside the Med bus and sat her down. He hugged her and she sobbed into his jumper.  
"It's okay; she's going to be okay." Ben told her. Tessa shook her head.  
"She's dead, Ben!" She sobbed. "It's our entire fault."  
"No, no, no. Tessa, this wasn't our fault at all."  
"It was Ben. It is."  
"Don't think like that." She continued to cry.

Hours later, Lourdes came out of the Med truck, she was crying. "I'm sorry...there's nothing we can do..."  
"No!" Tessa wailed.  
"Weaver says he'll bury her in the morning." Ben nodded and Tessa just continued crying.

The next morning everyone in the camp stood around a cross with Melisa's name on it. Everyone stayed silent until Weaver stood up. "We may not have known Melisa that long but she made a massive impact on everyone here, especially Ben and Tessa. She will be greatly missed by every one of us." Tessa bowed her head in respect, tears streamed down her face.  
"Shush." Ben placed an arm on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. Lourdes started to sing and the tears came faster and faster. Ben didn't let go of her even after the funeral.  
"She's gone, Ben."  
"I know, Tessa, I know." He kissed her and smoothed her hair down. "But we still have each other." Tessa stayed silent.


	19. Chapter 19

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

_**Tessa's POV**_

It was dark outside, Ben and Jimmy were scouting and Tessa was sat in her tent, sobbing. Maggie had her arms around her and Lourdes was saying things like 'she's in a better place now' and 'she's getting looked after by her real family, she's happier now'. It wasn't working; she was still crying her heart out. "Kid, she's with her real family now, away from that jerk." Maggie told her. Tessa hated crying in front of Maggie, crying was a weakness and she never showed her weakness. She got along well with Maggie, she was the closest thing to a sister that she had, Maggie knew all of her secrets, and she knew everything about her, things Tessa would tell no one else. But crying, that was something different. Crying, Tessa knew, was a weakness. "She's in a much better place."  
"I know..." Tessa choked on her words and sobbed more.  
"C'mon, I think you should get some sleep." Lourdes told her.  
"It's late, c'mon Tessa."  
"You two get some sleep, I need to go and see Captain Weaver." Tessa stood up and wandered out of the tent.  
"Help!" She turned her head. Ben was dragging Jimmy, Jimmy was clearly hurt. "Help!" Ben shouted again. She ran ahead of them to Dr. Glass. "Help! Please, you have to help him!"  
"Ben! What happened?" Dr. Glass asked him.  
"We were hunting Skitters and..."  
"WHAT?" Tessa shouted. "How could you be so stupid!"  
"The Skitter just threw him into a tree."  
"WHAT? HOW? WHY? YOU IDIOT!"  
"He's dying, Ben!" Dr. Glass shouted, she ran around, trying to make Jimmy better. "His heart rate is dropping." She murmured to herself like this for a while and Ben and Tessa were sent out.

Logan stood outside. "Is he going to be okay?" He shouted at them. "What happened? I have to get there! I have to see him!"  
"Logan, shush, he'll be just fine. We have a idiot who does stupid, irresponsible things that get everyone within two thousand feet of him killed!" Tessa shouted at Ben.  
"It wasn't my fault!"  
"You were hunting SKITTERS!"  
Logan was crying, Tessa put an arm around him.  
"He'll never know!" He sobbed. "He'll never know I love him!"  
"Oh, Logan, he knows. Jimmy knows those kinds of things." Tessa soothed him.  
"But I never told him!"  
"That's okay, Jimmy knew you loved him. That's all he could talk about."  
"But, Tessa!"  
"Shush, shush, shush. It's okay; he's going to be fine!" Tessa assured him.  
"No, he's going to die and it's my entire fault because I never told him..."  
"NO! DON'T YOU DARE BLAME YOURSELF!" She shouted. "It wasn't you."

Dr. Glass came out of the med truck, she looked upset, she had been crying. "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do." She told them.  
"No!" Logan wailed.  
"You can say your goodbyes, if you want."  
"I'll come in with you, Logan." Tessa told him. She choked back tears of her own and walked into the med bus with him. He sat in the chair beside Jimmy's dead body.  
"Hi." He started. He made little hiccup sounds as he talked. "Hi...Jimmy...You can't be dead. No, not you, your a fighter, your my fighter." Tessa started crying. She couldn't stop them. "You're just going to wake up now and then laugh at me because I'm being so stupid and soppy. No, Jimmy, your not are you? You can't be gone. I never told you how much I loved you. How much I really did, we spent all that time together and I never told you. You told me but I never told you, how could I have been so stupid?" He dropped his head on Jimmy's unmoving chest and cried. "I...I've been so stupid and clueless. I love you Jimmy, I always have. Since I met you."  
"Tessa, maybe you should leave them alone?" Dr. Glass asked her. She nodded and walked away, she could hardly see from the tears that clouded her vision.

**Hai! I'm sorry Jimmy died, but it'll become clearer why in the next(and final) chapter! I hope you liked this one! :D **

**Abs-walkers-12 :D**


	20. Chapter 20

_**The Little Scout**_

_**Chapter Twenty**_

_**Logan's POV**_

He struggled to breath. He'd lost Jimmy. He'd lost his Jimmy, his fighter, his Jimmy. He sat in his tent, in his cot. Next to him Jimmy would still be asleep. He should be there, but he wasn't. Logan should be excited for him to wake up. They would talk and then Jimmy would go all deep on him. The Logan would shut him up by kissing him. Once Hal walked in and it was really awkward. He loved Jimmy. He would never meet someone like him, ever. He lay back in his cot and curled into a ball. There was no one like Jimmy. Jimmy had made him feel so much better, he'd made everything normal. Everything he'd ever loved was in that one person.

And now he was gone. His knight was gone, his fighter, his everything...it was gone. And he wanted it back. Logan had done everything right, looked after kids, sacrificed everything for the lives of everything else; all he had asked for was Jimmy. That was it! He'd never been selfish but he was for Jimmy. He was terrified that Sophie would come for him; Logan knew she had a crush on Jimmy, but Jimmy liked him. Loved him. And now he was gone. Logan felt tears caress his cheeks and he wiped them away with his sleeve. He stared around the tent. There was only one other person who had shared the tent with him. And he was always doing something other than stay in the tent. That was nice, when it was just him and Jimmy. Logan couldn't even remember what the other kid looked like. He just sometimes heard him come in when he was reading, yeah he did that, he had been drunk. That had been strange. Not many people got drunk now days. There's not really time for that.

Jimmy's cot had just been left un-made. Logan's copy of Philosopher's Stone was left by his pillow. If there was one thing Logan had been able to save from his burning home, it had been his Harry Potter books. Jimmy had promised him he'd read them. He never got past the first book. He'd said he had no time, they were in a rebellion. Logan had just laughed at him.

The night that Jimmy had told him he liked him, that was...amazing. Jimmy had run towards him and they'd started talking, then he had just blurted out. "I like you." Jimmy had stared into his, what seemed like, soul for a long time before Logan had smiled and said he liked him too. After that they'd started dating, Jimmy was sweet but he never really knew what to say. Not to Logan, but Logan would just laugh at him and say something totally different. That's how their relationship worked.

Then Jimmy had told him he loved him. Logan, to admit, had been a little freaked out but he loved Jimmy. That had been before he went on patrol to hunt Skitters, with Ben. Ben. Ben had killed Jimmy. He had hunted skitters with him and Jimmy was dead because of it. He had never told him he loved him back. Now it was too late. Jimmy was dead.

Logan found himself reaching for under his pillow. His hand shot from out of it and he clutched it as if it were hurt. "No." He told himself. "You are not doing that, there's people who need you." But he needed Jimmy. "The kids need you. Imagine if someone found you, Logan, dead with scars all over you. Imagine if it was one of the kids." He was horrified. "It'll get better; Logan, there's no need for this." He cradled his hand and rocked slightly on his bed.  
"Hi." He jumped at the voice and twirled around.  
"Hi Sophie." His voice cracked and he realised he was shaking.  
"I just came to see how you are."  
"I'm fine." He said it too fast and she obviously wasn't convinced.  
"You know, we'll all miss him. Jimmy was a good fighter and he was nice."  
"You liked him."  
"For a while. And then, I found out you were both dating and I was happy for you."  
"I loved him." Logan didn't know what to say.  
"And he loved you too. I'm always here if you want to talk." Logan nodded and she stood up. "I'll see you later." She smiled at him sympathetically and left.

Logan found himself clutching his gun. "No." He told himself and threw it away. "NO!" He shouted. He started rocking again. "You can't do this to yourself. It'll get better. You need help Logan." He stood up and wandered to see Sophie. She sat on her cot, crying. "I need to talk to you." He told her.  
"What about?"  
"Jimmy."  
"Logan, I didn't really know him..."  
"I can't live without him."  
"Logan, you need to. For the kids." Sophie was actually really pretty. "For Me."  
"What do you mean?"  
"When you think you've got no one left? Just remember I'm there for you. I'll be your sunshine."  
"Sophie, that's not...I need help. I need to get away from here."  
"Why?"  
"Everything reminds me of him." Logan was crying.  
"Logan, it's okay...I'm here for you..."  
"I know."  
"You don't need to leave."  
"I know."  
"Then why do you want to?"  
"I don't know."  
"I understand, everything's pressuring you, Logan it's okay...I'm here you can tell me anything."  
"I don't want to live anymore." Sophie's eyes were wide as saucers.  
"You mean you want to..."  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"I just don't want to do this anymore, Sophia." She cringed at the 'a'. Sophie was never called Sophia, which was her real name; it was just something that never really happened. "I really don't."  
"I can help you."  
"No."  
"Yes, I can. We're in this together Logan." She took his hand and stared into his eyes. "Together." She repeated.

**Hai! **

**So this is the last chapter, I'VE BEEN CRYING WHILST TYPING DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA JUST HOW HARD THAT IS?, I hope this had explained a little and I hate myself for not just putting this before! **

**Anyways, thanks for the reviews and everything, the Sequel **_**The Little Scout: Sweet Justice **_**is on it's way. I promise **

**I'll hopefully hear from all you awesome people soon! **

**Abs-walkers-12:D **


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